“Thank you.” I took the stroller from the security personnel who worked at the baby boutique we were heading into. You could see the shocked look on the mothers’ faces as people glanced at what was going on but tried to pretend they weren’t interested.
I wasn’t embarrassed; I was just pissed about all of this going on when I simply wanted to buy the man a fucking gift and get Ami some shoes. If this was what life with Aldrich was like, I needed to rethink some things. A simple run to the mall was too complex for his lifestyle.
I might have been part of a well-known family, but with so many branches we had no issues with staying anonymous if we wanted to. My name and face had been kept out of the press for so many years and that’s the way I preferred it. Having people care about what I did, who I dated and what I was doing wasn’t something I wanted to launch myself into.
But are you willing to walk away from Ami and Aldrich because of it?
I went back to patting her on the butt waiting for the officer to give me my device back. He had the nerve to have it held up to the side of his face and I was going to have to wipe my screen down before I used it again. I didn’t know where my earbuds were but I would just have to hear Aldrich yell at me on speakerphone.
“Yes, sir, I understand.” The officer was beet red in the face by now and security from the baby store was standing between me and where they were. I wasn’t sure why he was being so protective, maybe because I had been there before, but I was thankful that he at least had some sense. I appreciated it even more because he was a Black man and had no trouble looking out for me.
Gotta slide him some cash to show my appreciation.
The officer cleared his throat and handed my phone back to me with his face tight. “Here you go ma’am. We’ve gotten all that cleared up for you.”
“You mean all the information I already gave you has been confirmed so now you believe me?”
He looked uneasy probably because Aldrich was still on the phone and with the store guard standing behind me I was no longer alone.
“Well, as you said—”
I chuckled and used a baby wipe to clean my phone. There wasn’t a way on God’s green earth I was about to put it back to my face after it had touched his. “Just because it came out of the mouth of someone you respect you believe his word more than mine.”
“He’s her father—”
“And I already told you he’s the one who gave me leave to be here with her. But I’m not about to pour salt in the wound. I justhope you realize how big of a mistake you made not handling this situation correctly the first time. Enjoy your day.”
I walked toward the boutique with the security officer’s hand hovering protectively behind my back.
“Well, that was interesting.” I said it more to myself than to him but he clearly heard me because he chuckled as he held open the heavy iron and glass door to the boutique.
“You’d be shocked at the type of drama that happens in a baby store.”
I was shocked cause I wouldn’t have expected drama next to the cloth diapers but I guess people would act up anywhere. “Is that why you came out to help?”
“Nah, I remember when you were here before. You seem like a nice lady and I watched the crazy chick approach you. I couldn’t leave my post until someone came to relieve me. That’s why it took me a minute to get here. Besides, they weren’t going to fuck with a sista like that and I let that shit slide. I ain’t that kind of man.”
I smiled because I truly appreciated his looking out. “What’s your name?”
His brows furrowed and he smiled cautiously like he was worried about what I would say. “Louis.”
I nodded and pushed Ami’s stroller through the door he held open. I glanced down and was happy to see that she had dozed off despite the chaos around her. “Louis, are you a Desperados fan by chance?”
“Thanks, Billy. Tell Parker I said I appreciate his looking out.”
Aldrich angrily hung up the phone before he glanced up at me through the screen. He’d called me from his phone and usedAnthony’s to call his team in front of me to tell them what happened. I didn’t hang out long at the mall because so much of what I wanted to do today was ruined from the confrontation and issues with security. I grabbed what I needed for Ami out of the boutique and the store insisted Louis escort me out to the car. Mall security had come into the store to assure me that Ami’s grandmother had been removed from the premises but I didn’t trust their asses for shit. Aldrich was still at camp and team leadership had given him an extra hour to get this situated since he felt like it was a security issue for us. He’d been eyeing me worried I would do something rash. Like running away, saying this shit was too much to handle, something. I just couldn’t give him what he wanted. The reason I made my way into Maison Bebe was to ensure I didn’t let my emotions rule me when I got home. I wasn’t worried about me; I was simply pissed at Ami being placed in that situation and the way the cops brushed off my concerns.
“What did she say?” He was too focused on me but I was more concerned with what magic I was sure Billy had worked in the short while it had been since the situation with Ami’s maternal grandmother happened.
“Parker is about to have the officer’s jobs because there is no way they shouldn’t have at least filed a complaint like you requested. They’re fucking lucky that they didn’t put you in cuffs or try to pressure you to let her around Ami. We’re getting a restraining filed as soon as possible against the mother and the father since they don’t seem to listen to my explicit instructions well. The mall’s security are sending over the video because they don’t want to have their location being associated with being dangerous forexclusive clienteleand have said they will provide you a personal escort to ensure that you are safe at all times if you head back to shop there.” He ran a hand down his face and I could see the fatigue setting in from having to deal with thesepeople. They’d been silent for weeks, and only reappeared when the insurance report for the accident was made public. I knew he was concerned that they would continue to harass us but I hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
“I’ll probably just go back to ordering my shit fromFreeman’sand leave that place alone.” My family had helped with the land for the store and I had an account there. It wasn’t as large or as well-known as places likeSak’sandBergdorf’sbutFreeman’shad stood the test of time by staying small and exclusive to the tristate area. I was going back to just having my personal shopper there locate what I needed even if it cost me more money.
Aldrich shook his head as though my decision wasn’t good enough for him. “Nah, I’m getting you security. Y’all are not about to be cooped up in the house because some silly bitch who birthed a stupid bitch can’t understand boundaries. I see where the fuck her daughter learned that behavior from.”
I knew that Ami’s mother was more than a sensitive subject for him but I wasn’t sure if this was the time to broach it or ask questions. There was a shadow over this…situation with us and sometimes I felt like it was her ghost haunting this relationship. I didn’t feel like I’d stolen this girl’s destiny but I was sure she was in whatever plane of existence, feeling like I was living the life she wanted. I mean I had the man she obviously coveted based on the social media tirades she went on about Aldrich and I was the only mother figure her daughter knew. Damn, she was probably hexing me or wishing all kinds of ill on me from the other side.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more. I didn’t want her to touch the baby and when she reached for her I just snapped. I’m sure they thought I was just pushing some older woman around but my first instinct was to protect Ami no matter what.”
